


The Guy and the Girl in 17-A

by bluetoast



Series: Angels and Ministers of Grace [6]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Awesome Phasma, Bathtubs, Ben Solo Needs A Hug, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Holidays, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Protective Finn, Rey Needs A Hug, Teasing, Unresolved Romantic Tension, weather is a plot point
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 14:34:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8289232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluetoast/pseuds/bluetoast
Summary: Rey wonders if Tuesday night was a one off. She and Ben's schedules conflict with each other, preventing them from spending any time to talk about it. Then comes Friday afternoon.H/C Bingo - Touch Starved





	

Rey leaned against the side of the elevator, watching the numbers click upwards. The smell of at least a dozen dinners had saturated the whole of the apartment building, reminding her of the way the scent of pizza seemed to permanently hang in the air of the dorms she'd visited on campus. She covered a yawn and tried to remember exactly how many people had told her that they were sorry she had to work on Thanksgiving. She appreciated the sentiment, but really, she didn't care. She had coworkers who actually had family and friends to see today. True, she had plenty to be thankful for, but the actual holiday meant nothing to her.

As long as she didn't think about what dinner was like at the Dameron house right now, she'd be fine. 

She glanced at her watch as the elevator came to a stop and she stepped out onto her floor, noting that all was quiet in 17-B. According to Ben, their across-the-hall neighbors had left Tuesday night, destination O'Hare International. It was just after three, so she knew Ben was already gone for his own work shift. She let herself into the apartment and was hit with a wave of the smell of something delicious. “Oh damn, he's been cooking again.” She locked the door behind her, taking off her boots and leaving them on the rug before hanging up her coat. “What's he made now?” 

The crock-pot in the kitchen was set on low and she picked up the note leaning against it. “Chicken pot pie soup – biscuits are in the bread drawer.” She chuckled and lifted the lid, smiling. “Thanksgiving dinner in a bowl. Awesome.” She replaced the lid and walked out of the kitchen, not ready to eat just yet. It'd been rare for her to be alone in the apartment for long; even with their conflicting schedules, the longest stretch of time she usually had alone were the two hours on Tuesdays, when Ben had a late class. 

When Rey had left this morning, shortly after seven, Ben had still been sleeping. While they had shared his bed on Tuesday night, last night had been spent in their own rooms, and while she had rested; she lamented the loss. It was almost stupid how much she'd hated waking up alone this morning. The last thing the two of them needed to do was mess with the fragile balance of their friendship. Turning back towards the front of the apartment, she stopped short at the sight of three green Rubbermaid containers on the far side of the couch. “What the hell?” She went over and saw that on the side of all of them, in big, bold letters was the word 'CHRISTMAS.' “Oh lord, he's secretly a holiday junkie.” She shook her head as Arya came into the room, jumped onto one of the crates and laid down, watching her expectantly. “I bet you are too!” She lifted her chin. “Well, maybe it won't be so bad.” 

She returned to the kitchen and quickly prepared herself a bowl of soup, deciding that however she was going to spend her afternoon, she could do it better with a full stomach. She carefully held the bright orange Fiestaware bowl as she carried it to the table, and as she slid into her chair, she caught sight of the thick book lying near Ben's usual spot. While the book was unfamiliar, she knew the style instantly: a yearbook. She only had one yearbook; the one from her senior year – and it had been gifted to her from the yearbook staff. She tugged the hunter green and silver book towards her, noting the knight in relief on the cover. 

This was not snooping in her mind; the item had been left out in the open. She flipped back the cover and saw several messages written on the cream colored lining and title page. There seemed to be two types of handwriting within; perfectly formed, and practically illegible. The one in the upper left corner was easy enough to make out: 

_B.B. - From kickball to prom, you've been my friend through it all. Though our roads now diverge, you'll always be in my prayers. Last one to Hogsmeade buys the butterbeer! - Jen_

“Wonder who she is.” Rey shook her head, “and what kind of nickname is BB?” She ate a mouthful of soup, flipping through the next several dozen pages, showing candid pictures of the school year. Judging from the clothing of the kids, Ben's high school had been one of those fancy uniform wearing private schools. The class pictures came first, and she quickly through the first three grades, stopping when she got to the seniors. 

Unlike the rest of the kids, they didn't have just their first and last names, but their full names, along with a small quote underneath. She stopped at the end of the 'H's', scowling at a smirking red-haired teenager who had a chin that was just begging to be punched. “Armitage Franklin Hux.” She snorted. She didn't even look at his quote, and she swept through the rest of the alphabet, stopping when she caught sight of a smiling girl with extremely straight brown hair, and under her name, in pen was the word 'thanks' – her name was Jennifer Miriam Quirk. “So you're Jen.” She turned several more pages, and then she found Ben's picture. Unlike everyone else in his class, his smile seemed to be on the verge of shattering. “Benjamin Bail Organa-Solo.” 

Rey laughed. She couldn't help it; she hadn't known Ben's middle name, and looking at it now, she couldn't hold back her mirth. What sort of name was Bail? Not that she was one to talk, her own first name often confused people and her middle name was almost worse. When she'd shown up for freshmen orientation, her student guide had been shocked to learn she was a girl. She chuckled and glanced at the quote underneath Ben's name – it was a single line of text – _Lamentations 3;31-33._

“Wonder what that...” She was cut off by the sound of a knock on the door. The sound was so unfamiliar, she nearly jumped out of her chair. The knock came again, and she rose, and put the chain lock on before glancing through the peephole, catching sight of a woman with white blond hair. She opened the door, just as much as the chain would allow. “Yes?”

“Oh, thank god, someone's home.” The woman was seriously tall. “Hi, my name is Gwen, I live up on nineteen, I hope I'm not interrupting your meal.” She smiled, but her face remained slightly flushed. “I know this is an odd thing to ask, but would it be possible for me to borrow a cup of sugar?”

Rey snickered. “Well, if I loan you a cup of sugar, I don't expect you to return the original.”

Her smile strengthened. “I know, I know, it's a strange thing to request.” She leaned closer to the door. “It's my first time cooking Thanksgiving dinner and I, great mind that I am, didn't stop to think yesterday when I made pies, I should have checked if I had plenty of sugar left in the pantry.” She adjusted her hold on the glass measuring cup she was carrying in her hands.

She pushed the door closed, undid the chain and reopened the door. “Come in while I get it.” 

“Thank you.” Gwen nudged the door shut with her foot and handed the cup to her. “I really appreciate this.” She sniffed. “What are you having?” 

“Chicken pot pie soup.” She answered, going into the kitchen, setting the cup on the counter and then opening the cabinet where they kept the dry goods. “I didn't make it, my roommate did. I'm Rey.” 

“Is Ben not here this afternoon?” The woman's tone hinted of familiarity. “Oh, there's that great dust mop. Arya, how are you?”

Rey frowned as she poured the sugar. “No, he's working. You know Ben?”

“Of course I do. I remember when he moved in here nearly six years ago. Such a sweetie, I only have two issues with him.” Gwen came into the doorway of the kitchen. “The first being I'm happily married to the love of my life, but even if I wasn't, the second problem is that he's a guy.” 

She set the container down, looking over at the woman. “I don't think either of those are a reason not to be his friend.” 

“He is my friend, we just happen to live on different planets, if that makes sense to you.” She shook her head, folding her arms. Rey had the distinct feeling that Gwen was sizing her up, her gaze was almost critical, even if her smile remained. “You're much nicer than that snake he used to date.”

“I'm not his girlfriend, I'm his roommate.” Rey put the lid back on the sugar container and held the cup out to Gwen. “We're friends, nothing more.” She understood what she said about being on different planets; they had lives that didn't allow them to spend more time with each other. 

“Hm.” She took the item, both hands closing around it. “Friends or whatever you are, if some woman named Bazine shows up outside of your door, call the cops.” She straightened. “And don't let her talk to Ben. After what she did, she shouldn't come within a time zone of him.” 

Rey walked her to the door, a rather ill feeling starting in the pit of her stomach. “That bad?” 

“Honey, if she shows up and either you or Ben chuck her down the garbage chute, I'll testify under oath that you were both at my place when it happened.” She shook her head. “Thank you for the sugar.” 

She opened the door. “You're welcome. And Happy Thanksgiving.” 

“Happy Thanksgiving to you as well. I'll bring you back some sugar after I've gone to the store.” She answered as she went into the hallway. “And remember what I told you.” 

“I will.” She shut the door and locked it, confused. She had a feeling that whatever Bazine had done to Ben, it was something having to do with sex. However, she wasn't about to bring that up in a conversation any time soon. Hurting someone like Ben seemed unfathomable – you'd have to be a serious asshole to do that. Then again, there were people who thrived on taking advantage of others. “That was interesting.” Rey turned and went back to her dinner and the yearbook.

*

Ben let himself into the apartment, yawning. “Rey, are you still awake?”

“It's not that late, is it?” she called from her studio. “It's only....” she made a choking sound. “How is it quarter to ten?” 

He locked the door behind him, shaking his head. “I don't know. Just like I don't know why this gentleman who came to order a frame couldn't tell that what he selected for a matte was purple and not blue. I asked him, point blank if he was colorblind and he said no. He didn't want to believe me. It took three other people to tell him that yes, the matte you've selected is purple and he wanted navy blue in the first place, which isn't even close to any shade of purple.” He busied himself taking off his coat and boots. “You'd have thought Christmas was tomorrow the way they were buying trees.”

“Speaking of...” Rey came into the main room. “Care to explain your stash of festivity over by the window?”

Ben looked over at his boxes of Christmas decorations, then looked back at her, grinning when he saw that she had a smear of paint across her cheek. “Despite what you may think, I am not Mister Grinch.” He indicated her cheek. “That's not what acrylic paints are for, Rey.” 

“What?” She swiped at the paint, causing the mark to move further down her face and then cursed. “How long has that been on there?”

He chuckled. “Don't ask me, I just got back.” He crossed the room and went into his bedroom, changing out of his work clothes and into sweats. “How were the harried shoppers at Aldi?” He came back into the main room.

“A nightmare.” Rey ducked into the bathroom and he leaned against the threshold as she washed her face. “Thankfully, it wasn't a matter of needing the full spread, just a few missing parts.” She picked up a towel. “Which reminds me, I met Gwen, she needed some sugar.” 

He snickered. “Gwen's quite the character. She is the most organized disorganized person I know.” He went over to the couch and sat down, and Arya promptly jumped in his lap, running her head under his chin. “Thankfully, when she forgets something, it's never anything major.” He looked over at the crates. “The Christmas stuff... that's.. that's my gran's doing. She loves Christmas, made me love it.” 

Rey came over and sat down next to him. “Is that what you're doing in modeling for the class? Earning money for plane fare so you can spend Christmas with her, wherever she is?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, then looked down at Arya. “Well, not exactly. The money I'm getting paid for the class is going towards a car. And uh...” He shook his head, “Okay, I'll just say it, it's not like it's a big secret. My grandma spends every Christmas with my uncle and aunt in South Dakota. But first she comes here to Chicago for a few days and I always put up a good front.”

Her eyes widened and she leaned back, her expression almost comical. “Is she going to say something about the fact you're living with a girl?”

Ben smirked. “Considering that my mom's birthday is only seven months after my grandparents wedding date, it's be rather hypocritical, wouldn't it?” He sat back as Arya left his lap and waked into Rey's. 

“True, and it's not like we're sharing a bedroom.” she curled up in the other corner of the couch, rubbing the cat behind her ears. “I can sleep on that futon while she's here, I don't mind.” 

“We can worry about that a little closer to the time.” He shook his head, not wanting to think about the fact that two nights ago, when they _had_ shared a bed, he'd had the most restful sleep in what felt like forever. “It'd probably be better if I took the futon.” He leaned back, letting out a groan as his leg throbbed in pain, and he began to rub it. “I think the later it is, the longer the walk from the L seems.” 

“I tend to think the colder.” Rey yawned, tucking her legs up on the couch, resting her head on one hand, the other remained on Arya. “You left your yearbook on the dining room table.” 

He chuckled, folding his arms. “That wasn't intentional, and if you flipped through it, that's not a problem.” Ben meant it; he'd only gone through the book out of some slight nostalgia. Thanksgiving was the holiday that always made him miss his friends more than any other; after their respective family dinners, they'd always hung out, doing something – from sledding to watching a movie at one of their houses. 

“I'm just having trouble picturing you as a choir boy, that's all.” She grinned at him, “and the fact that you were second in the state in cross country? That's pretty awesome.” 

He let out a weak chuckle. “I'm not as impressive as my college applications would lead you to believe.” He closed his eyes, leaning his head back. “I came back from state with that second place trophy and my parents wanted to know why it wasn't first.” He could still remember their look of disappointment, and with the way they reacted, he felt like he came in dead last. 

“Uh... because there was a cheetah from a town that only the locals can find on the map who took off like a bat out of hell in the final stretch?” Rey let out a delicate snort and he felt her hand on his arm. “Hey.” 

He opened his eyes, giving her a tired smile. “Something like that.” He shook his head. “The way things are with me and my parents. It's... it's not good. Whenever I excelled at something, they always insisted it should have been better.” 

“Don't take this the wrong way, but did they say that or did you think that?” Her face was pensive. “I'm just wanting to know.” 

“They told me. Well, my mom did. My dad wasn't around to do it, still isn't. He probably isn't even at the house right now, he's most likely working and my mom is most likely halfway through a bottle of wine and wondering why no one came home for Thanksgiving.” He let out a groan, rubbing his leg again, hating the cold. 

“What does your dad do anyway?” Arya jumped down from Rey's lap and went off elsewhere in the apartment. “I remember you told me that your mom's a corporate lawyer.” 

“He works for Viking. He's captain of a cruise ship and is, no doubt, currently in the Mediterranean as we speak.” He gave her a tired smile. “I shouldn't complain, I guess.” As good as it felt to talk about his issues with his parents, it seemed wrong somehow, to do it to someone who didn't even have parents.

Rey shook her head, returning his smile. “What's your grandma like?” 

“She's a character.” He chuckled, glad of the subject change. “And by character I mean somewhere between Maggie Smith in _Downton Abbey_ , Mary Poppins, and Sarah Connor from the _Terminator_.” He saw her face drain slightly of color. “Don't worry, she'll love you. However, she will fuss over you to a point that borderlines on smothering.” 

“And she used to be a lawyer, and now lives in Scottsdale with the lady you used to live with?” She folded her arms, smirking.

“Yes. During the hot summers, they play bridge and drink Bloody Marys. In the winter, they play golf and then have Screwdrivers.” He chuckled. “Aunt Sabe, who lived here, is the member of the group who keeps the rest of them out of serious trouble. In other words, she's the Mom Friend.” 

She nodded. “I understand that – Poe's my mom friend. I'm surprised he doesn't call me daily to make sure I've eaten enough.” She chuckled. “If you met his mom, you'd understand where he gets it. I was at his house last year for Thanksgiving, and she kept trying to feed me. Not that it was bad, but one can only eat so much.”

He grinned. “Yeah.” He rubbed his eyes, covering a yawn. “You work tomorrow?”

“Nine to one, although I have no idea what people buy at Aldi on Black Friday, unless it's junk food to stuff in gift baskets.” Rey stretched her legs out, and she automatically jerked back when her feet made contact with his thigh. “Sorry.” 

“It's not a problem.” He offered her a smile. “That's the trouble with this couch, only one person can stretch out on it at a time. I don't mind, your feet are pretty light.” He closed his eyes and then felt the slight weight of her heels resting on his leg. His set his hand on her ankle, his thumb brushing the thin strip of skin above Rey's sock. “This okay?” He ran his thumb back and forth, enjoying the small contact.

“Yeah.” She let out a worn sigh. “Do you have any days off this weekend?”

“Saturday.” He grinned, “Have to let all the high school kids get some shifts in while they're off school.” 

“Same. We could set up the tree then. That won't take all day, will it?” She yawned.

“Nope. Plenty of time left over to do all those homework assignments our professors gave us for the holiday.” He snickered. “Don't worry, they'll leave us alone for Spring Break, since mid-terms are the week before.” 

“Is spring even going to be here in March?” She retorted. “I thought it didn't get warm here until May.”

He chucked. “We could get lucky and have it show up mid-April.” 

*

Rey estimated she might have gotten three hours of sleep. She had no idea how Ben had rested, all she knew was that an early wake-up time for both of them had kept her in her own bed. She'd been wide awake when she'd heard Ben's alarm go off, and not twenty seconds later, it was silenced, telling her that he'd also been awake at the time. They both kept their alarm clocks across their rooms, requiring them to get out of bed to shut them off. Rather than wait for her own alarm, slated to go off thirty minutes after his, she got out of bed and went straight for the coffee. 

When she arrived at work, she found three of her coworkers hung over, and she couldn't tell if she was picking up their slack or moving at the same pace as they. Tonight she was going to get some sleep, even if she had to resort to taking some Ny-Quil to do it. She leaned against a metal post on the train, her eyes narrowed in slight annoyance at how bright and sunny it was outside. It looked deceptively warm, and while she was thankful for the sunshine, she wanted the heat that she was used to getting. “I wanted to come to this school, I need to keep remembering that I wished for this.” She mumbled to herself as her phone rang. She pulled it out of her coat pocket, keeping her grip on the post. “Hey, Finn.”

“Hi, Rey. How are you?” Her friend sounded more chipper than usual. “You sound tired.”

“I am tired. I just got off work and I didn't sleep much last night. How's everyone?” She forced herself to sound cheerful.

“Not bad, it'd be better if you were down here with us. Mrs. Dameron wormed your address out of Poe, so don't be surprised if you get a massive care package sometime next week.” He laughed. “We missed you not being here. It wasn't the same.” 

“I'd have liked to have come, but I had work and I couldn't afford a plane ticket.” She sighed. “Ben made soup.” 

“You're coming back for Christmas, right?” He coughed. “Stupid allergies.” 

She laughed. “Ah ha! There's a good thing about this wretched weather after all! No allergy problems.” She glanced up at the sign over the door, making sure she didn't miss her stop, more than once she'd remained on the L, forgetting her change of street. “Christmas? I've already planned on staying.” She swallowed, feeling chagrined at telling her best friend that she wouldn't see him until summer, if then. “I'm sorry, Finn.” 

“Hey, hey – it's fine. I understand.” He sighed. “How's your roommate?” 

“Still a puzzle. Then again, I haven't exactly been forthcoming with information about myself either.” She picked up her bag and shouldered it as the train began to slow. “Best I can tell, he and his parents have serious issues.” She quickly made sure she had everything before she stepped off the train. “I mean, I can't make much of a statement on the subject, but from what I've gathered from Ben, is that they think they deserve something better than the National Merit Finalist, State Championship running, practically a poster-boy for the perfect student kid they have.” 

Finn made a choking sound. “Wait, wait... are you telling me that he's one of those Overachievers? And his parents wanted _more_?” 

Rey set a hand on the railing as she went down the stairs. “Something like that. I'd say he was a musical instrument short, but he was in choir.” She shook her head. “When do you and Poe head back to Athens?” 

“Tomorrow night. Mr. Dameron wants us to help put up the Christmas lights before we leave.” He chuckled. “Remember when we did it last year?”

She smirked, glad he couldn't see her face. “I seem to recall the pair of you terrified to get up on the roof because of the height. I'd have thought Poe would be used to it. Or he was just humoring you.”

“Don't start.” He coughed. “How's the weather?”

“Sunny and cold. Do me a favor and go dunk your feet in the Gulf for me before you head back to Georgia, would you?” She shifted her hold as she waited at the crosswalk. “I can't even go around barefoot indoors these days.” 

“That bad huh?” Finn muffled a sneeze. “Well, cold as it may be, at least there's no pollen to drive you mad.” 

She hurried across the street, dodging the pothole in the center of the crosswalk. “I'm just glad I have tomorrow off. I need the sleep.” 

“Don't you work too hard, Peanut. You'll make yourself sick.” He let out a breath. “I've got to go, Poe and I have some lights to disentangle.” 

“You two be careful, and I want pictures!” She kicked at an absent chunk of snow. “Miss you.” 

“Miss you too, Rey. You be careful too, up there in that massive city.” He chuckled. “Bye.” 

“Bye, Finn. Give Poe a hug for me.” She heard him hang up and she tucked the phone back into her pocket as she came up to her apartment building. After punching the door code in, she checked the mail, and found the box stuffed, although most of it was junk. Amid the credit card offers and ads for various locations throughout the city, was another smart, official looking envelope for Ben from Simon & Schuster Publishing. “Wonder what this is about?” She shrugged and pressed the button for the elevator. 

In her three weeks of living here, Rey had learned fairly quickly why the elevator on the left was referred to as the 'vertical earthquake' and the one on the right as 'the boomerang.' Of the two, she liked the left over the right. The left one might be slow, but rarely did you feel like you were moving too fast. She stepped onto the one on the right, which came first, set her bag down and held on to the small bar on the wall as the doors closed. 

The small car zoomed upwards, and she grimaced; she was too tired for this. Stepping out on her floor, a second wave of exhaustion washed over her. “Thank god there's leftovers for dinner.” She did her usual routine when she came home; dropped the mail on the table next to the couch, removed her shoes and coat, then took her bag of groceries into the kitchen, but couldn't manage more than putting the things that needed to be refrigerated away. Even though she had seen Ben's coat hanging up, it struck her that he hadn't shown himself, or at least called out a greeting. “Ben?” She walked into the main room, catching sight of Arya, curled up in the sunbathed spot on the couch asleep. “Ben?” She said again, and she heard a noise from the bathroom. She knocked on mostly-closed door, accidentally causing it to swing open. 

They caught sight of each other at the exact same time. 

“I'm sorry!” Rey shrieked and shut the door quickly, and heard Ben's phone hit the floor at the exact same time. 

“It's fine.” He called through the door. “You know, it's not the first time you've seen me naked.” 

She loosened her grip on the doorknob. “That's different.” she took a deep breath, listening to a slight shuffling on the other side. 

“You can come in, Rey. I don't mind.” His voice was calm; and she found herself standing in the open doorway before she really had time to think about it. He was sitting in the tub, his damp hair clinging to the side of his face, and the relaxing scent of lavender was wafting around them. She wasn't even aware that he used the tub; she only used it when she had to shave her legs. “A hot bath helps the muscle aches.” He leaned back in the tub, closing his eyes. “I'm tall enough, so you don't need to worry about me drowning.”

Rey looked down him for a moment, then pulled her work shirt off, dropping it on the floor. They'd skirted around each other long enough since she moved in here. “Budge up. I'm joining you.” 

“What?” Ben sat up as she kicked her jeans off, his cheeks going slightly pink at the sight of her undressing. That was rather adorable. “Rey, what you are you doing?” 

She toed off her socks, completely unabashed and she saw him swallow. “Is this a problem?” She watched as his eyes darted down her nearly naked form, the blush spreading to his ears.

He flushed and looked away. “I've never taken a bath with anyone before, or a shower, for that matter.” 

“Neither have I. Unless you count the time I went skinny dipping with Poe and Finn.” She unhooked her bra and dropped it on her pile of clothing, and then slipped out of her panties. “Or have you never seen a girl naked before? Outside of the internet.” 

His expression was nothing short of indignant. “I've only seen one girl naked in my life. Contrary to what you may have been told, not every guy thinks the internet for porn.” His face was still bright pink, but he sat up, worrying his bottom lip. “We either have to sit with our knees and shoulders out of the water facing each other or you have to sit between my legs.” 

Rey thought for a moment, a shiver passing over her; she couldn't stand here naked, debating which would be better. “I'll take the later.” She set her hand on the side of the tub and carefully lowered herself in the narrow space between Ben's legs, the tub not being all that wide. The water was hotter than she expected, and it suffused her with warmth, and then nestled herself back against him. It was an extremely intimate position. Something she became all the more aware of as she felt his half-hard cock against the small of her back. “Comfortable?” 

“Uh huh.” One arm remained outside of the tub, the other rested on his leg as she settled her head on his shoulder, and she could feel his breath on her neck. “You?”

“Glad to be out of the cold.” She tilted her head to the side, slipping her arms under the water, her hands coming to rest on his knees. She thought back to what it had been like to wake up on Wednesday morning, wrapped up in his arms, completely warm and secure. This wasn't entirely different; but the skin on skin contact changed something. “And now you've seen two naked girls.” 

Ben let out a weak chuckle as her feet floated up to break the surface of the water. “I may be one of the most chaste men of your acquaintance, Miss Kenobi. Not that I'm a virgin, but under the standards of my generation, I could be considered one.”

“I don't think that's wrong.” Rey let out a breath. “It's another one of your lovely impossibilities.” She rubbed her cheek against his chest. “I spent more time on my studies in high school, and my life was too unstable for dating.” 

“Nearly all guys are total asses in high school, Rey. You didn't miss much.” The arm that had been underwater came up and brushed against the side of her face, his thumb lingering on her cheekbone. “And some of them stay that way through college.” His hand fell back underwater, finding her own hand and came to rest against it. “And now you also know why my sheets smell like lavender.” 

Rey let her free hand squeeze his knee slightly, suddenly aware of his cock stiffening against her back; and it was on the tip of her tongue to ask him what he remembered from that wonderful night of pure rest. “I had trouble placing the scent, if you can believe it.” 

“Well, it's not something you'd expect to find in a guy's room, I suppose.” The arm that had been on the lip of the tub sank under the water and went around her waist, hugging to him. “Is this all right?”

“It's great.” She hadn't really permitted herself to think about Ben in terms of intimacy; not seriously, until a few days ago. She wasn't certain if the two of them were just skirting around each other out of hesitancy or that both of them were in complete denial that the other could actually be interested. It was compounded by the fact that she'd never done this before and he respected personal boundaries. She shifted slightly, pressing a kiss to his chin. 

“Rey...” Ben's hand came back up to the side of her face, lifting it so she could meet his gaze. His eyes were a serious shade of brown; she'd never really noticed how dark they were before. He worried at his bottom lip for a moment, showing a bit of teeth, before he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. It was nothing short of gentle; almost uncertain, and she felt him start to pull away as her shoulders tensed. “Sorry.” 

“No.” She turned over, so they were facing each other, herself kneeling in the tub. “Could we... could we try that again?” Rey set her hands on his shoulders, letting her body relax. “Please?”

He nodded slightly, doing that lip biting thing again. “If you want me to stop, you tell me, all right?” 

She returned the nod. “All right.” Rey remained still as both of his hands came out of the water, cupping her face, the damn things were so big, she was surprised they didn't interlace over the back of her head. His lips pressed against hers again, starting out just as gentle as before, but more insistent this time. Her grip on his shoulders tightened as tilted his head slightly and she felt the brush of his tongue against her bottom lip, seeking entrance. Uncertainly, she let her own tongue dart out, touching his for only a fraction of a second, and just like that; he broke away, his breath heavy, his hands falling back underwater. She was almost angry; then she noticed the nothing short of mischievous look on Ben's face. “What?”

He leaned forward, kissing the tip of her nose. “I think we've been in the tub long enough.” Under the water, she felt his hand brush against the side of her breast. “And there's also not much room in here.” 

“Benjamin Bail Solo, what are you suggesting?” She wrinkled her nose, giving him a playful look. 

He chuckled. “Well, Rey Satine Kenobi, I'm suggesting spending the rest of our afternoon in some naked snuggling, among other things.” 

“How did you find out my middle name?” She was more shocked at that than his suggestion.

“It was on your mail.” He grinned and kissed her chin, his hand on the small of her back. “I thought it was only fair.” 

She took a breath, deciding that before they did anything else, she had to tell Ben the truth. “I've never engaged in naked snuggling, or ah... those other things.” 

Ben's eyes widened slightly, but then his face turned gentle again. “Rule still applies.” She felt his leg moving against hers, and then there was a popping sound as he pulled the drain stopper out with his foot. “You want me to stop, and I will.” 

She flushed slightly, rising out of the water and stepping from the tub before wrapping her towel around her middle, kicking her clothes aside to join his in a pile near the door. Her back was to him as she heard him get out as well. Now that she was out of the water and they were no longer touching, she felt shy; her boldness from earlier almost completely gone.

“Rey?” His hand came up and brushed against the side of her head, then she felt his fingers slide up her scalp and gently coax her hair out of the tight bun it was in. “I mean it.” 

She swallowed and turned to look up at him, his fingers still lingering in her hair. “I know that, and I know you will.” She kissed his chin and took a few steps back, breaking their contact slightly and causing him to follow her as she stepped into the hallway, backing towards his room. 

“You're better at this than you realize.” He managed to get close enough to brush his lips against hers before she evaded his grasp again. “Or are you just making this up as you go along?” 

Her chuckle ended in a shriek as he managed to grasp her towel, sending it to the floor, “I read.” 

Ben's dropped his towel to join hers just as the back of her legs made contact with his bed. “So do I.” His hands slid back into her hair as he pressed his mouth against hers, and her hands came up to rest against his chest as her lips parted. The kiss deepened and one of his hands slid down between her shoulder blades, lowering down onto his bed.

 _Their_ bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Lamentations 3; 31-33 - The Lord is merciful and will not reject us forever. He may bring us sorrow, but his love for us is sure and strong. He takes no pleasure in causing us grief or pain.


End file.
